Leather Accessories: Why Using a Single Piece of Leather Matters

 
If you’re a fan of leather accessories, you may have heard people sing the praises of products made from a single piece of leather. The beauty, the craftsmanship, the quality, they’ll say. Does a single piece of leather really make a difference?
In a word: yes. Crafting wallets and other accessories from a single piece of leather has both practical and aesthetic benefits. Let take a look at why American Bench Craft and other manufacturers of fine leather goods are using this unique technique.
Durability
Leather has been a popular choice for wallets, belts, bracelets and more for many years. The material’s enduring popularity is due in part to its strength and durability. Most leather products are built to last, and full grain, vegetable tanned leather can last a lifetime.
Regardless of the leather’s quality, though, a purse or wallet made from more than one piece of leather is highly vulnerable to wear. The pieces come unstitched or unglued, and your leather product becomes useless, or at least unsightly. By making products from one folded piece of leather, elite manufacturers ensure that you get an elite product, in terms of durability.
Longevity
Have you ever looked at an old, well-preserved leather bag? Many consider such a bag to be fashionably gorgeous, with its a rich patina of wear and supple feel. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a single flaw in the bag… until you looked at the stitching on the seams.
While leather can last a lifetime, thread stitching does not. This is why many find that their leather accessories are literally falling apart at the seams after about a year of use, if they even make it that long. Making a product from one piece of leather can keep it in shape for decades.
Uniformity
Every piece of leather has its own unique grains and patterns. That’s part of what makes leather such a beautiful material. However, nothing tarnishes the beauty of a leather grain quite like a clashing grain pattern from another piece of leather.
By having a single piece of leather, a leather product achieves a sleek, uniform look, including the unique “scarring” effect seen in full grain leather. It creates an eye-catching accessory that any merchant can be proud to supply, and any consumer can be proud to wear.
Beautiful Simplicity
Fashion trends come and go, but there’s an enduring beauty in aesthetic simplicity that everyone seems to admire. There’s something artistically pleasing about items that are simply made, yet visually stunning. Items made from a single piece of leather are simply made in terms of material, and their look is a testament to fine craftsmanship, proving that slow, careful work creates the best product.
Next time you’re shopping for a new leather wallet, belt, or bracelet, look for something made from a single piece of leather. It will be one of the best-made leather accessories you own — and its craftsmanship just might remind you to slow down and admire the simple things.
Meet the Author
Carolyn Clarke is a freelance writer and fashion enthusiast based in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to her full time job as a buying consultant for fashion boutiques, she also writes fashion advice blogs that have been published across a number of digital platforms. In her free time, she takes her dog running along the Malibu coastline.